Obituary: William Olcott Newton, 80

William Olcott Newton, Dover, NH -- Bill (“Pop-Pops”) Newton, 80, passed away on December 26, 2015 surrounded in love by his family. He was born in Waltham, MA, the son of William Russell and Mary Olcott Newton. Bill grew up in Waban, MA with his sisters Suzanne (“Sally”) and Emily. Bill graduated from Newton High School in Newton, MA (1955) and Boston University (1965). Bill served in the Army (1958-1963) as a paratrooper at Fort Campbell, KY and in military police at Fort Devens, MA. Bill and his family lived in Palatine, IL before moving back to New England, first to Portsmouth, NH and then Dover, NH. He spent the last year of his life at Scalabrini Villa in North Kingstown, RI where he was close to his oldest child Shelagh and her family.

Bill was a man of many trades. At the beginning of his career, he worked as an engineer and in sales for Bay State Abrasives and Dresser Industries. He later started his own business, Simply Storage, creating closet solutions, and worked into retirement as a realtor and property appraiser. More than anything, Bill was an inventor and tinkerer who loved working in his basement workshop. He invented many things useful to daily life that could be found dotted around his house, a pervasive reminder of his industriousness. Amongst his most popular inventions are the Keepah for fly fishing, the Sit-n-Walk for walks and hikes, and a Christmas tree self-watering device. He built a beautiful wooden kayak and designed and built a wonderful green sailboat. He enjoyed building furniture and toys for his nieces, nephews, and children’s homes. In his retirement, Bill worked tirelessly for Democratic candidates and enthusiastically for both Obama campaigns.

Bill enjoyed watching New England sports teams, especially the Red Sox. He cheered and lamented along with his wife when they watched them play at Fenway Park or in their family room. Bill was an avid and accomplished skier. He honed his unique style at Wildcat Mountain and told wonderful stories of his years at the Makusue Ski Club in North Conway, NH. Bill loved his animal companions, particularly his first dog Cutty Sark and, later in life, his cats Alva, Dickens and Clancy.

Bill was happiest spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, Emma, Sofia, Will, Oona, Taber and Rory. He was a constant presence at his children’s sporting events and was always involved in helping them with their school projects. He is predeceased by his wife of 43 years, Barbara (Donohoe) Newton and survived by his children Shelagh (Newton) Michaud and her husband Mike of North Kingstown, RI, Andrew Newton and his wife Kerry of Warren, VT, Molly Newton and her partner Andrew Knight of Moseley, England and many beloved nieces, nephews and dear friends. A celebration of Bill’s life will be held at The Atlantic Grill in Rye, NH on January 3, 2016 at 2pm. You are invited to share your thoughts, condolences and memories with his family by visiting www.faganquinnfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be made to Alzheimer’s Association, 480 Pleasant Street, Watertown, MA 02472 (www.alz.org).